Greedfall

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a top-tier experience in Greedfall, placing 837th out of 3703 tested combinations. This puts the combo in the 77th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that the vast majority of configurations will trail these results, though a substantial number of faster combos exist at the very top of the charts. The pairing leverages a high-end mobile CPU with a flagship desktop GPU, creating a platform capable of high refresh rate gameplay at 1440p and smooth 4K performance, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 837 out of 3703 tested configurations places it firmly in the upper quartile of all possible system pairings for Greedfall. This is a strong result, but the absolute rank also reveals that the game is not entirely GPU-bound at the highest settings, as many other combos (primarily with faster desktop CPUs) achieve higher average frame rates. The benchmark data indicates this is a capable pairing, but the rank suggests that the mobile CPU, while powerful, does not extract the absolute maximum from the RTX 4090 in every scenario.

In terms of CPU performance relative to other processors, the Core Ultra 7 265HX sits near the top of the pile. Its average benchmark score of 63173 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rivals in synthetic tests are the Intel Core i7-13790F, which scores a nearly identical 63080 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which scores 63331 (0.2% higher). The AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (62839) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62738) are also very close, with the 265HX leading them by 0.5% and 0.7% respectively. This shows that the 265HX is in a performance tier where single-percentage-point differences separate it from its direct competitors, making its rank in Greedfall more dependent on the GPU and game engine optimizations than on raw CPU scoring.

The GPU itself, while an end-of-life flagship, still holds a strong position. The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score of 60347 puts it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, 0.0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140, 0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896, -2.5% delta). The data suggests that while the 4090 is not the absolute top performer in every synthetic test, its real-world performance in Greedfall is robust, as shown by the measured FPS. The combination of a 93rd-percentile CPU and an 88th-percentile GPU results in a system that is well above the median for the tested game, but the rank of 837 indicates there is headroom for higher-end desktop platforms to push further ahead.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. In Greedfall, an Action RPG that relies on a mix of physics, AI, and world streaming, this core configuration provides substantial headroom. The high boost clock is critical for single-threaded tasks like game logic and UI rendering, while the 20 cores ensure that background processes and the game’s multi-threaded systems do not cause frame pacing issues.

The CPU’s L3 cache is 30 MB (shared), which is adequate for the game’s asset streaming. However, benchmark results show that at lower resolutions, the CPU becomes a more significant factor. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 250 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. This high frame rate is only possible with a processor capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls. The 265HX’s PassMark single-thread score of 4500 and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5737 indicate strong per-core performance, which directly translates to high minimum frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios.

Comparing to its rivals, the 265HX’s synthetic multi-threaded scores are very close to the Intel Core i7-13790F. In Cinebench R23, the 265HX scores 40642, which is a strong result. The data suggests that in Greedfall, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck at 4K, but at 1080p, the difference between CPUs can be more pronounced. The fact that the 265HX is nearly identical in performance to the i7-13790F (0.1% difference in average score) suggests that users should expect similar frame rates in CPU-bound sections of the game. The 20-thread count is beneficial for the game’s background streaming and asset decompression, preventing hitches even when many entities are on screen.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX powerful enough for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090?

A: Yes. The data shows the CPU scores in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 63173 is nearly identical to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F. In Greedfall, the combo ranks 837th out of 3703, indicating that the CPU does not significantly hold back the GPU at most settings, though it may limit maximum frame rates at lower resolutions.

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this combo?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 on High settings provides an excellent balance, yielding an average of 123 FPS. At 4K High, the average drops to 74 FPS, which is still playable, but the 1440p resolution allows the RTX 4090 to push higher refresh rates without the CPU becoming a limiting factor.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, scores 63080 (0.1% higher). The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G scores 63331 (0.2% higher). The differences are minimal, indicating performance parity within this tier of processors.

*Q: Does the RTX 4090's performance in Greedfall match its synthetic benchmark standing?*

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326 (0.0% delta). In Greedfall, the GPU is able to achieve 74 FPS at 4K High and 178 FPS at 1080p High, confirming its high-end status.

*Q: Will the combo run Greedfall at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 47. This is a playable frame rate for a slower-paced Action RPG, but it is significantly lower than the 4K High setting, which yields 74 FPS. The difference in performance between High and Ultra settings is notable, suggesting that Ultra settings impose a heavy load.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in Greedfall?*

A: The bottleneck shifts depending on resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 250 FPS, suggesting the CPU is the limiting factor at that point. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1440p High, the system achieves 123 FPS, showing a balance between the two components.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for Greedfall show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of very high frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 250, which is the highest recorded value in the dataset. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 196 FPS, with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS. High settings yield an average of 178 FPS, while Ultra settings reduce the average to 114 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames well above 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced GPU influence. Low settings produce an average of 173 FPS, while Medium settings yield an average of 136 FPS (with a min of 116 and max of 156). High settings drop the average to 123 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce it to 79 FPS. The 1440p results show a balanced workload, where both the CPU and GPU are contributing to the final frame rate. The drop from 173 FPS on Low to 79 FPS on Ultra represents a significant performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings yield an average of 103 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings drop the average to 81 FPS (min 69, max 93), while High settings yield 74 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 47 FPS, which is the lowest recorded value in the dataset. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 4090 is capable of handling the game at high resolutions, but the Ultra preset is demanding and requires a compromise on frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights the changing role of the CPU and GPU. At 1080p High, the system achieves 178 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 123 FPS, a reduction of approximately 31%. This significant drop indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed as the pixel count increases. When moving from 1440p High to 4K High, the average FPS drops from 123 to 74, a reduction of approximately 40%. This steeper decline reinforces that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component. The fact that the system can reach 250 FPS on Low settings shows that the GPU is not fully utilized, and the CPU’s single-threaded performance is the constraint. At 4K, the situation reverses. The CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU’s raw compute and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors. This is typical for a high-end desktop GPU paired with a strong mobile CPU. The 4K Low setting yields 103 FPS, which is only 59% of the 1080p Low score of 250 FPS, showing the GPU’s load increases substantially with resolution.

The frame rate scaling is not linear, which is expected due to the game’s engine characteristics. The transition from 1080p to 1440p is less punishing than from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that the game’s rendering pipeline becomes more complex at 4K. The RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s textures, but the shader load at 4K Ultra is heavy, leading to the 47 FPS result. This scaling behavior indicates that users should target 1440p for high refresh rate displays, or 4K with High settings for a balanced experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the best overall experience for this combo, providing an average of 123 FPS. This frame rate is smooth for an Action RPG and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 136 FPS, which is a 10.6% improvement over High, but the visual quality difference may not justify the lower settings for most players. At 4K, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it provides an average of 74 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for a good experience. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 47 FPS, which is playable but may feel less responsive in combat.

For players with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or above), the 1080p High setting (178 FPS) is the best option, as it maximizes the frame rate without sacrificing too much visual quality. The 1080p Medium setting (196 FPS) is also viable, but the difference between Medium and High is less significant than the jump from High to Ultra (114 FPS). The Ultra preset at any resolution should be avoided if frame rate consistency is a priority. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 79 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 114 FPS. The data shows that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy cost on the GPU, and the High preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance.

The Low preset is only recommended if the user is targeting extreme frame rates (250 FPS at 1080p), but this is unlikely to be necessary for a game like Greedfall. The Medium preset provides a stable baseline, with minimum frame rates of 167 FPS at 1080p and 116 FPS at 1440p, indicating good frame pacing. Ultimately, the High preset at 1440p or 4K is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, as it leverages the RTX 4090’s strengths without being bottlenecked by the CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing for Greedfall. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, it offers 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is sufficient to handle the game’s high-resolution textures and large open-world environments without stuttering. The GPU’s base clock is 2235 MHz, with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and it features 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The Ada Lovelace architecture provides 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is a significant amount of compute power for the game’s lighting and post-processing effects.

The GPU’s performance in Greedfall is directly tied to the resolution and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 47, which indicates the GPU is fully saturated. At 4K Low, the average FPS jumps to 103, showing that the GPU has more than enough power for lighter loads. The RTX 4090’s 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in this game, as Greedfall does not feature ray tracing by default. However, the raw rasterization performance is what drives the high frame rates at 1440p and 1080p.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 60347 puts it in the 88th percentile, and its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326 (0.0% delta). This data suggests that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier performer, but it is not the absolute fastest GPU in the database. The RTX 4090’s end-of-life status does not diminish its capability in this game, as the measured FPS shows it can easily handle 1440p High at 123 FPS. The GPU’s memory capacity of 24 GB is more than adequate for Greedfall, ensuring that there is no texture streaming bottleneck even at 4K. The combination of high memory bandwidth and compute power makes the RTX 4090 the primary driver of frame rates at resolutions above 1080p.